For years now, the teenagers of the current generation have been opening their eyes to the injustices of society, beginning to push limits like the generation before us and the one coming next. The fact of the matter is, since the 60s and before, teens and students have been at the forefront of activism. We see a lot of adults interested in social and current issues but in terms of activists making the push to change the world we see teenagers. At Vic alone, it seems more than every other person has a cause they stand for or message they preach, even here at The Vic Voice there’s plenty of articles about climate strikes and activism. So why is this? Why does this interest spark in young people? More importantly, why should fighting for social change be something we care about?

 Teenage years are when people begin to find their place in the world, identifying with peers and groups around them which is one reason why youth find activism appealing. Identifying oneself individually as well as within a group is incredibly important and positive for young people not only to find themselves but their found families as well. Not only do youth find a sense of self but a sense of belonging in a group as well. 

While youth tend to care more about the present day and where they fit into it, adults are more likely to take pride in their generativity. Simply put, generativity is the legacy one leaves for the generations after them; something that isn’t entirely of interest to young people. Contrary to this, however, research from Berkeley University in 2020 on positive youth psychology displayed that people aged 14-29 have begun to care about  the generation to come and the legacy they’re leaving for them even more so than most adults. We see generative motivation a lot in climate activism, folks who are preaching that our lives may be cut short due to the current climate crisis and that the children coming after us won’t have the chance of much of a life at all. There’s a certain passion that teenagers have about the future, what post-secondary they may go to or what path of life interests them; now, we see that passion transition into generativity that has the ability to change the world.

In a more practical sense, as children grow older, abstract thought begins to develop more and an understanding of philosophy and ethics comes into play. Considering activism is rooted in ethics, this deeper comprehension causes a realization of injustice and a determination to state opinions and fight for them. On top of that, young people can recognize issues and bring about ideas of change but aren’t plagued by preexisting structures and rules that many adults may have gotten too used to.  Basically, teenagers know when something is wrong while also bringing a fresh perspective on how to fix it.

As a lot of these students said, they don’t believe someone should live in fear because of the fact that they exist; this due to race, gender, sexuality or any number of other unchangeable facts about a person. Similarly, teenagers are consistently shown in a negative light. This doesn’t mean that teeneagers are oppressed simply because of their age however, the ability of young people is always being tested. Seen as irresponsible, idiotic, moody, or any other synonym for problematic, youth are never taken seriously; this is why they make such great activists.

Over decades, youth have been at the forefront of change and Gen Z is no exception; small but mighty, slow but steady, little yet fierce, youth in every generation climb the social ladder in order to fight for righteous change.